When Alexander was only 16 years old, his father named him as regent, or temporary ruler, of Macedonia while he was away for an extended period of time. When Thrace, one of the Macedonian colonies, revolted, Alexander quickly marched troops to the area. He conquered the rebels and renamed their stronghold Alexandroupolis. It was to become the first of several cities that he founded and named after himself.
In 338 B. C.E., at the age of 18, Alexander led the left flank of the Macedonian cavalry (soldiers who fight on horseback) in the battle of Chaeronea, northwest of Athens. This decisive battle crushed the final Greek resistance to Philip’s rule. Two years later, in July of 336 B. C.E.,
Alexander became king of Macedonia after Philip was murdered by one of his bodyguards. Many historians have speculated that Alexander’s ambitious and ruthless mother, Queen Olympias, conspired in the plot against his father, but no factual evidence of this has been uncovered.
What Are Connections?
Throughout this book, and all the books in the Great Empires of the Past series, you will find Connections boxes. They point out ideas, inventions, art, food, customs, and more from this empire that are still part of our world today. Nations and cultures in remote history can seem far removed from our world, but these connections demonstrate how our everyday lives have been shaped by the peoples of the past.
Philip’s Greek “allies,” who had been forced to recognize him as their leader, saw his death-and his heir’s youth and inexperience-as an opportunity to reclaim their independence. When, in 335 B. C.E., Alexander turned his attention to fighting a group of tribes in the north who were rebelling against Macedonia, two of the more southern Greek city-states, Thebes and Athens, began their own uprising. Alexander immediately swept into Greece with his troops to assert his leadership. He offered to negotiate peace with the two city-states. When Thebes refused, the young king burned down the ancient city, sparing only its temple, killed its soldiers, and sold some 30,000 of its citizens into slavery. Athens quickly surrendered and Alexander spared that ancient city-state. Treating those who surrendered with clemency remained his usual practice for much of his life.
Alexander convinced the Greek city-states to appoint him as leader of the League of Corinth, a governing council established by his father a year before his death. The League members had appointed Philip to lead an invasion of the Persian Empire. They now agreed to put Alexander in charge of that invasion.
World History
